


Mischief's Bride

by mitchkat1



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gods AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-07-29 22:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitchkat1/pseuds/mitchkat1
Summary: Every year, one girl is selected from Marinette's village to become bride of the fire god who lives up the mountain. Those girls never return. Marinette finds herself switched with the true bride to protect her family and village and becomes the ultimate sacrifice. Meanwhile, the god of mischief, Chat Noir, has taken up residency in a mysteriously vacant shrine and finds a beautiful maiden at his doorstep, offering herself as his bride. And so begins the adventures of a mischievous god and a human girl whose intertwined destinies include a lot more than just marriage.





	1. The Offer

**Author's Note:**

> So @sidsinning on Tumblr made this wonderful Gods AU seen here: https://sidsinning.tumblr.com/post/186673408881/god-au-where-every-year-the-village-chooses-a (check it out seriously, it’s so good and follow because all their stuff is so good) with such great art that I felt inspired to write for this AU. Since the AU seems heavily inspired by Shinto and considering I just returned from 5 months studying abroad in Japan (and studying Shinto), I felt extra inspired to write something for this AU. Here’s a first chapter for a story I thought of that uses this AU. Hopefully, I’ll continue it given I have time and the blessing of @sidsinning.

Marinette tossed a small copper coin into the prayer box and clapped her hands, silently praying to herself. _"Please spare my family and our fields mercy from your flames," _she prayed as she rang the shrine's rusting bell. She glanced up at the carving of a blazing dragon, the god of fire who threatened these lands, and a shiver ran down her spine. A nightmarish vision of dancing flamers consuming her family's fields filled her mind. Marinette threw a second coin into the box, just in case, and hoped the god would accept her offerings. The fire god's true home actually lay hidden near the peak of the mountain the protected Marinette's village, but the priests had built a local shrine so villagers wouldn't have to make the dangerous journey up the mountain. While convenient, Marinette feared the god wouldn't hear her prayers living so far away.

As the daughter of two peasants, her family depended on their fields which they used to grow rice and other foods. The income from their fields already wasn't enough to sustain her, her mother and father. Marinette worked as a seamstress to make ends meet. If a fire destroyed their fields, it would be the end for her family. Of course, her prayers would be meaningless without the sacrifices from Bride's Day, the most important day of the year for her village which happened to be tomorrow. Every year, the village elder selected a young girl to become the bride of the fire god. While the elders called her a "bride", it seemed the chosen girl was really a sacrifice. The women sent up the mountain to the fire god never returned, but the village's fields had been spared of fire since the ritual began, so the tradition continued. Marinette's heart went out to the brides and their families, but she was grateful she would never be one. Only the most beautiful and graceful girls were selected to be brides. The elders wanted to send the fire god only the finest of the village.

With her daily prayers to the fire god finished, Marinette moved on to the next task at hand. She had been summoned to repair the robes of Lady Kagami, her most loyal (and wealthiest) client. Lady Kagami was the daughter of the Tsurugi family, a clan of brave swordsmen whose services were sought after by even the most powerful warlords. Lady Kagami was no different from her predecessors. She practiced her swordsmanship diligently which lead to lots of rips and tears in her robes and lots of good work for Marinette.

Marinette walked along the dirt path from the shrine towards the Tsurugi estate. While most of the villagers lived in small homes, the Tsurugi family lived in what seemed like a palace. It loomed high above the other homes and resided on the most fertile land. She arrived at the front gate and promptly let in. She came for work so often even the guards knew her.

"Good morning, Marinette," one of the guards smiled as he opened the gate for her. "Come for Lady Kagami's robes I presume?"

"Of course," Marinette laughed. "With her, my work is never done." She waved good bye to the guard as she walked to the entrance. She removed her sandals and stepped onto the tatami floor. Normally, someone was waiting at the entrance to greet her, but today there was nobody.

"Lady Kagami?" Marinette called. There was no answer. "Lady Kagami? It's Marinette!" she shouted, but once again, all was silent. _"Where could everyone be?" _Marinette wondered as she moved further into the house. _"Perhaps Mistress Tsurugi has gone hunting this morning… That would explain the silence. Maybe Lady Kagami is in her room…" _Marinette proceeded through the manor, already knowing the path to Lady Kagami's room. She didn't want to bother the young miss too much, but she needed to collect the robes before she could mend them. She wandered towards the back of the manor when she heard voices coming from a nearby room. She walked up to the sliding door, but before she opened it, she noticed the voices were not just talking. They were yelling.

"My daughter is the sole heir to our family! I will not have her sent to die up on that mountain!" A woman shouted. Marinette recognized the voice as Mistress Tsurugi's. "She is meant to fight for our family's honor, not be someone's bride! She is a warrior!" "

"Your daughter is the clearest choice for this year's selection," a calmer, male voice interrupted. It was the voice of the village elder, an old, rather unlikable man with a gruff voice. "You have no choice in the matter. We will come to collect her tomorrow. Have her prepared in her finest robes. Our priests will handle the rest."

"And what if we refuse?"

"Then we will take her by force. I'm sure the villagers will have no problem collecting your daughter to protect the greater good." All the voices went silent and Marinette held her breath, hoping not to be caught eavesdropping.

"Mother, I humbly accept the honor of being the fire god's bride," a third voice interjected. Marinette knew this voice too. It was Lady Kagami. "Elder, I will be ready tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lady Kagami. The village is eternally grateful for your brave sacrifice. I will see you both tomorrow." Suddenly the sliding door opened and the village elder walked out, ending the conversation on his own. He turned in the opposite direction of Marinette, not noticing her presence. She breathed a sigh of relief. He would've had her head if he found out she was listening. Bride's Day preparations were restricted to only the highest authorities. A peasant like her had no business knowing until the morning of the bride's send off.

Marinette heard an angry fist slam against the tatami floor. "I've hated that pathetic man since the moment he became elder," Mistress Tsurugi cursed. "I'll have him beheaded for trying to take my daughter away."

"Mother, please," Lady Kagami said in a low tone. "By being the fire god's bride, I will bring great honor to our family name. Only the bravest women can become a bride. I am proud to be given this opportunity and I wish this to be the end of the conversation." With that Lady Kagami walked out of the room, but Marinette was not as lucky to go unnoticed by her.

"Marinette?" Lady Kagami said, a bit surprised. "Did you hear all of that?"

Marinette began to panic. "Y-Yes! I mean, I didn't mean to! It was an accident since I was looking for you, but then I guess I still did hear so… Um… I'm sorry…" Marinette lowered her head. "I know it's against the rules for outsiders to know about the bride before Bride's Day. I'll take whatever punishment you wish to give me, Lady Kagami."

"Punishment?" Lady Kagami stiffened. "No punishment is necessary. If you say it was an accident, Marinette, I believe you."

"Thank you, Lady Kagami," Marinette gratefully bowed. Although Marinette found Lady Kagami to be a little cold and distant, she never doubted her heart was in the right place. That was partly why Marinette felt so lucky to have her as an employer. "Lady Kagami…" Marinette said, lifting head. "Would you still like me to mend your robes? I heard your favorite kimono was ripped when you challenged one of the guards to a match."

"As much as I want to accept your offer, I must decline," Kagami said, shaking her head. "There is a lot of my mind and it seems I have lots of preparations for… tomorrow. Still, I will make sure you are compensated for the work you would have done today." Kagami's tone turned even more distant than normal. It was obvious she couldn't keep her thoughts away from her unavoidable fate. "Now if you'll please excuse me," Kagami said. "I'll be heading to my room." She quickly walked away, disappear into another room.

_"I can't believe Lady Kagami was selected as bride," _Marinette sadly thought. _"It's a great honor, but she'll never see her family again… Even though she's putting on a brave face, I can tell Lady Kagami is nervous."_

"Kagami, are you still outside?" Mistress Tsurugi's voice called from inside the room. Marinette jumped, startled. After the conversation with Lady Kagami, she forgot Mistress Tsurugi was still in the room.

"No, Mistress Tsurugi, it's me, Marinette. I believe I saw Lady Kagami enter her room.," Marinette announced, stepping into the doorway. "Do you need something? I was actually just on the way to speak with Lady Kagami," she lied, not wanting Mistress Tsurugi to know she knew about Bride's Day.

"No," Mistress Tsurugi replied solemnly. "I thought you were my daughter… You two sound so similar…" Mistress Tsurugi's head perked up. "Marinette… Kagami tells me you two look similar…"

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"She says you share her raven hair along with being of similar height…"

"I suppose…" Marinette said nervously. With Mistress Tsurugi being blind, she relied on others to describe appearances although her lack of vision didn't limit her in any other way. Marinette was curious as to why Lady Kagami talked about Marinette with her mother. Perhaps Mistress Tsurugi was interested in Marinette's work as a seamstress? Marinette noticed Mistress Tsurugi's fist tighten around her cane, her knuckles turning white. "Mistress Tsurugi? Are you alright?" Marinette asked, approaching the woman.

"You…" Mistress Tsurugi said quietly. "You could replace her."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Mistress Tsurugi stood up and pointed her cane at Marinette. "I sensed your presence outside the door. I know you are well aware of my daughter's situation and I am aware of yours. Your family's income is poor even with the commissions from my daughter, is it not?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then I will make you an offer that will guarantee your family enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."

"What?" Marinette exclaimed. "But why me? What do you want from me?"

"I want you to take Kagami's place as bride."


	2. Bride's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So at the end of this chapter, I wanted to share some fun facts about Miraculous’s connections with Japan and Japanese culture since this story takes place in a Japanese inspired setting. Also, this chapter is where all the introductory stuff starts to end and I finally get to write about Chat Noir! :)

Marinette felt her stomach drop. "You want me to become the fire god's bride?" she asked, utterly stunned. "That's impossible. Lady Kagami was chosen to-"

"My daughter's destiny is to bring honor to this family through battle! She is the finest swordsman in this country!" Mistress Tsurugi yelled, scaring Marinette. "I will not allow her to become the bride, so now I am giving you this generous offer."

"I-I can't! Only the person chosen by the elder can become bride!" Marinette shook her head. "I… I must refuse…"

"I suppose I haven't made myself clear," Mistress Tsurugi continued. Her tone turned threatening. "My daughter will not become the bride which means this village won't have a sacrifice. If this village is destroyed by fire, my daughter and I can easily leave, but your family and the others will not be nearly so fortunate. So I leave the choice in your hands, Marinette. Take my money and protect those you love from flames or watch them burn because of you…"

Marinette collapsed to her knees as her vision turned blurry. Everything was happening so fast. This morning, she had come to mend Lady Kagami's clothes and now she was being threatened into becoming the fire god's bride. _"This can't be happening…" _Marinette panicked, clutching the edges of her robes. _"I can't become the fire god's bride. I'm just a peasant. If the elder finds out, he'll have my family exiled from the village, but if I don't accept… Then there won't be a village to be exiled from." _

"Although I believe the correct choice seems quite simple, you seem perturbed," Mistress Tsurugi said, tearing Marinette away from her thoughts. "Decide this evening and come by early tomorrow morning. I will prepare you to take Kagami's place. I will ensure nobody notices and you will tell nobody. I am sure you are aware of the consequences if you refuse to comply."

"Yes, Mistress Tsurugi…" Marinette lowered her head and turned to leave the room. Her mind was still racing. As she stepped into the hallway, she heard the sounds of Lady Kagami practicing her swordsmanship. "What about Lady Kagami?" Marinette asked, turning back towards the mistress. "Won't she find out?"

"She will not know until it is too late to turn back. Now go."

Marinette hurried away and began to run out of the manor. She sprinted out the door, forgetting to put her sandals back on, and kept running until she came upon the fire god's shrine. It looked the same as how she had left it, but now it felt even more ominous than before. She sat down in front of the shrine and buried her head in knees, beginning to cry. Her sleeves became soaked with her tears as she sobbed. _"What should I do?" _Marinette thought. _"I can't tell Mama and Papa, but after tomorrow, I'll never see them again. I'll never see Lady Kagami again. I'll never see… anyone ever again. But I can’t let our village burn! I'll protect them and Lady Kagami! I have to!" _

There was a quiet rustling from the grass in front of the shrine. Marinette looked up and quickly dried her eyes. She saw a snake poke its head out from the grass, its black eyes meeting her bluebell ones. Its scales sparkled a brilliant turquoise, a color Marinette had never seen on a snake before. "I'm sorry," Marinette sniffled, speaking to the snake. "I must have scared you." Marinette weakly laughed to herself. "Look at me… I'm talking to a snake." The snake just stared back, unmoving. "I bet you don't have to worry about being sent away to the fire god. I still can't believe it. Me… the bride… It's something out of my worst nightmare."

The snake slithered a bit closer, nearing Marinette's feet. Marinette didn't mind. She knew there were no poisonous snakes around the village. This one was probably just curious and considering his small size, he probably couldn't hurt a human even if he tried. "You're kinda cute," Marinette smiled at the snake. "I actually feel a little bit better being able to tell someone about this whole mess. But you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Is that you, Marinette?" a voice called from the distance. Marinette quickly stood up and the snake slithered away back into the grass. The guard from the Tsurugi's manor appeared over the hill with Marinette's sandals in his hands. "Thank goodness I was able to track you down," the man said, panting. "You left these behind and Mistress Tsurugi wanted to make sure they were returned to you."

"How kind of her…" Marinette scoffed. "Thank you for bringing these to me," she added more sincerely.

"Are you alright?" the guard asked. "You left so suddenly."

"I'm fine. I was actually headed home and my feet would've been ripped to shreds without my sandals."

"Anything for you, Marinette," the guard grinned. "Well, I should be getting back to my post. Have a nice day!"

"You too!" Marinette waved as the guard walked away. She put on her sandals and whispered to herself, "A nice day… I don't think I'll be having nice days anymore…"

* * *

Marinette spent the rest of the day at home. Her parents were perplexed by her quietness since their daughter was usually so loud and joyful. She helped them prepare dinner and ate with them in silence. Truthfully, Marinette was too terrified to speak. If she let anything about Bride's Day slip, she knew either the village elder or Mistress Tsurugi would come for her family. She desperately wanted to say goodbye, but kept her mouth shut. Marinette wanted to cry every time she looked at her parents but made it through dinner with her tears contained. Once the meal was over, she hurried into her room to end the night. But as the moon rose high into the sky, Marinette lay awake, unable to sleep.

As soon as morning came, Marinette snuck out of her room. She peaked into her parents’ room and found them still sleeping peacefully. She took a final look at them and made a silent prayer for their future. Marinette removed a red pin from her hair and set it in front of her parents' door. The pin had been a gift from them for her last birthday and came in a set of two. She clenched the other pin tightly in her hands. It was the one thing she would bring with her to remember them by. With this as her last goodbye, Marinette disappeared from the house and headed to the Tsurugi estate.

When she arrived at the front gate, she told the front guard she had an early morning job she needed to work on. She was let in promptly and found her way to Mistress Tsurugi's room. She opened the sliding door and found Mistress Tsurugi sitting there, meditating quietly. "I knew you would come," she said, not moving.

_"I didn't have a choice," _Marinette thought to herself.

"The wedding robes are folded in a pile to your left. They should fit you perfectly. I hope you can assist yourself in getting dressed and fixing your hair. I would call an attendant, but this must not be known by anyone. Please change promptly."

Marinette hurried into the corner and picked up the robes. The outer robe was made of beautiful silk and was as white as fresh snow. The interior robe was a deep red and made of the softest silk. The craftsmanship was exquisite. If she hadn't been so nervous, she would've taken notes on the design. Marinette quickly changed and found that the wedding robes were the perfect size. She suspected they had been designed for Lady Kagami, but unfortunately, Marinette didn't think she'd ever get the chance to return them. Then, she tied her hair back neatly in two buns, a distinct change from her usual hairstyle. Once she had them tied back, she slipped her remaining red pin through one of them.

"I'm finished," Marinette announced while she smoothed out the wrinkles in the robe.

"Good," Mistress Tsurugi nodded. "I am sure you look lovely. Now make sure you have up your hood and keep your face low. If anyone finds out about this, both of us will be in trouble although you certainly more than me. Do not speak. Do not move unless asked to. I will present you to the elder as my daughter and he will take you to the ceremony. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress Tsurugi. But what about Lady Kagami? Won't she notice she's missing the ceremony?"

"I have made sure my daughter is preoccupied and kept away from the ceremony. She is not here at the moment. Do not worry. Your only mission is to become the bride."

"I understand."

"Now sit beside me and wait. The elder will be here soon."

Marinette knelt beside Mistress Tsurugi and pulled up her hood. She could hear Mistress Tsurugi's calm, rhythmic breathing and tried to mimic it, hoping to calm her racing pulse. "Be more confident," Mistress Tsurugi whispered. "My daughter's confidence never falters in public. And do not worry, dear. I always keep my promises. Your family will be well taken care of. I will never forget your sacrifice here today."

"Thank you," Marinette replied weakly. At least that was one thing off her mind. She knew her parents could use the extra money. _"Maybe Papa can finally open that bakery he always wanted, and Mama can have the time to study martial arts again," _thought Marinette. _"They'll be happy…" _

The room's door slid open and one of the guards came in with a curt bow. "Mistress Tsurugi, the elder is here," the guard said as he allowed the village elder to step into the room. The guard immediately took his leave and disappeared back into the manor. The village elder approached Marinette and Mistress Tsurugi. Marinette made sure to keep her head low, letting her bangs cover her eyes. "Today's the big day," the village elder chuckled, a little too jovially considering the situation. "The rest of the village has already begun to gather. We mustn't keep them waiting."

"Of course," Mistress Tsurugi said, answering for Marinette. If she spoke, it would be obvious she wasn't Lady Kagami.

"I'm glad to see you've had a change of heart," the village elder slyly smiled. "Now if I may, Lady Kagami…" He offered Marinette his hand. "I'll be your personal escort this morning." Marinette carefully took his hand, dreading her luck. She didn't want to spend any more time around this man. She stood up and let him guide her to the door.

"Good luck, my dear," Mistress Tsurugi called. "I know the fire god will find you a most wonderful bride." Marinette wondered if this was supposed to be a compliment. It didn't feel like it, but maybe it was Mistress Tsurugi's way of saying goodbye.

The village elder pulled Marinette's arm, dragging her away. _"He's awfully rough," _Marinette frowned as she followed him out of the manor. _"How did a mean, old man like him become elder?" _

As they approached the village, Marinette could already hear the sounds of the townspeople gathering. The usually sparse streets were filled with people. Marinette tugged on her hood, pulling it down as far as it could go. She didn't want to take any chances. If someone recognized her, she wasn't sure if she could still go through with this. But she hadn't no choice. It was for the greater good.

They walked around the crowd and towards the Bride's Day stage which had been handcrafted by local artisans. Priests surrounded all sides of the stage while others stood in the back preparing for the ceremony. The elder took her to a cluster of trees behind the stage where no one could see them. "Wait here," the village elder told Marinette, finally letting go of her. "I have to oversee final preparations. I will return when it's your time. Don't move from this spot." Marinette didn't dare disobey.

She waited beneath the tree for a few minutes. The crowds grew louder, and Marinette wondered if her parents were somewhere in that crowd. They were probably looking for her. Little did they know she was so close…

"Come now, dear," a voice shouted suddenly, startling Marinette. The village elder reappeared and linked his arm around Marinette's. "It's show time."

Marinette lowered her head to guarantee he couldn't see her face and let him take her before the crowd of villagers. She stepped onto the wooden stage, her back to the crowd. She knelt down on the silk cushion prepared for her and pulled the hood of her wedding robes down further. The elder moved to the side as the local priests stepped onto the stage. One priest stood on either side of her, preventing her from escaping.

"Welcome!" the village elder announced, letting his voice echo across the silence of the crowd. "As you all know, every year, our village sends its finest woman up the mountain as a bride to the fire god. We thrive on his grace and mercy and to send him our village's bride is a great honor. This year's bride, Kagami Tsurugi, reflects poise and beauty. She is the best our village has to offer and her choice to take on this great honor will not be forgotten by us all. Join me in blessing this maiden for her voyage to the fire god's abode." Marinette stayed silent as the priests beside her walked to the edges of the stage and lit the torches at its corners. She saw the flames burn from the corner of her eyes and felt her pulse quicken. Was she destined to be consumed by those same flames or did the fire god have different intentions for his brides?

The villagers lowered their heads and joined the elder and priests in a prayer for her safe journey. The sounds burned Marinette's ears as she tried to block everything out. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back tears. As the prayer ended, the village elder stepped in front of Marinette and pulled her from her seat. "It's time to go," he whispered. "Make sure you give them a good goodbye." Marinette nodded and stepped to the center of the stage. She gracefully bowed, the villagers wildly clapping for her. The clapping seemed to mock her true feelings.

The elder shuffled her off the stage while the priests began a new prayer, one for the village's future prosperity. Bride's Day include more than the bride's send off. It was filled with prayers and a fire festival at the end of the evening. Of course, nothing else mattered for the bride. She was sent to begin her trek up the mountain, forced to hear the voices of her village celebrating down in the valley.

The elder led her further from the stage until they reached the edge of the mountain's forest which wasn't far from where Bride's Day was hosted. There was a small dirt path that weaved through the trees, but it was already covered in weeds and branches from not being used in a year. "This is where your journey begins," the elder instructed, pointing at the path. "It will only lead you so far. The will of the fire god will guide you the rest of the way." Marinette stared at the path and realized she was basically being told to figure everything out herself. There was no guarantee she'd even make it to the fire god if she didn't survive her walk up the mountain.

"Yes, sir," Marinette quietly answered. "I will not let the village down."

"I hope not," the elder nodded. "But I will still warn you. If you dare return to the village, you and your family will be severely punished. You will have wished you faced the wrath of the fire god instead of mine." The elder walked away, leaving these his final words in Marinette's mind.

_"I guess I own my own from now on…" _Marinette thought as she stepped onto the path. She took a deep breath and began to walk.

* * *

Marinette walked until the sun began to disappear and the sky turned pink. She was starving and thoroughly exhausted. After hours of walking, she was lost and scared. All the trees looked the same and she wasn’t even sure if she was still walking up the mountain. For all she knew, she could’ve been walking for hours in circles.

_"I wonder if previous brides made it to the fire god or just died lost on the mountain?"_ Marinette worried as she dropped down onto the grass. She didn't care if her wedding robes were dirtied. She didn't care about anything anymore. She just wanted to be home with her Mama and Papa.

"Someone please help me," Marinette whimpered, hating herself for being so weak and vulnerable. But there was nothing she could do but wish. Wish that someone could hear her…

Suddenly, the forest landscape blurred and warped away. The softness of the grass gave way to a firm floor and walls surrounded Marinette. She wasn't in the forest anymore, but in a room and standing in front of her was a man about her age. Floating beside him was a tiny creature that reminded her of a black cat. Both looked at her curiously as if they were more stunned about her presence than she was about theirs.

“It’s a girl?” the man said to himself, looking shocked.

"W-Where am I?" Marinette asked, holding her head. One moment she had been in the forest and then everything went blurry. Then suddenly she was in this tatami room, whisked away as if by magic. "What's going on?"

She pushed back her hood to get a better look at the man in front of her. He was wearing black and green robes with golden hair swept to the sides. Two of his front teeth were sharp like fangs and black cat ears sprung from his head. His supernatural aura made it clear that he was a god, but it didn't seem like he was the fire god she was expecting. There weren't any burning flames, but could he still be the fire god? Did he bring her here? Marinette let her hood fall down, revealing her full face. "Are you my husband?" she asked nervously. “Are you the fire god?”

The god looked at her and then to the catlike creature flying at his side. A mischievous look filled his emerald eyes. "Ah yes," the god said, breaking the silence. "Today was uh- Bride's Day, wasn't it, Plagg? From the village down the mountain?"

"Yes, yes it was!" the cat creature nodded eagerly. "I didn't think the humans would actually send a bride up this scary mountain, but I guess I've seen weirder." He giggled like he found something funny about the situation.

The god hissed, signaling to the creature the stop talking. Then, he closed his fan and stepped up to Marinette. "And who might you be?" He narrowed his eyes to examine her. Her beauty took him aback. Her raven hair was tied back, and her white wedding robes highlighted her ruby lips and pink cheeks. She gazed up at him with bright, bluebell eyes and he felt his heart thump. He opened his fan and used it to cover his face and conceal his blush.

"My name is Marinette and I have come to be your bride if you would take me, great fire god." Her voice was as sweet as her appearance.

"Fire god?" the god cleared his throat. He wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but he wasn't about to let this opportunity slide. A beautiful woman showed up at his front steps offering to be his bride? A chance like that didn't come a second time. "Yes, I am the fire god, but more recently I've taken up some… err… different trades," the god continued. "I prefer to be considered a god of mischief."

"I see," Marinette said, lowering her head. "And what should I call you, great god of fire and mischief?"

"The great isn't necessary," the god replied, fluttering his fan. "And I'm known as Chat Noir and this little guy is Plagg. It's nice to meet you, Marinette. And since we're getting married, welcome to our home!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray for fun facts about Miraculous! I just wanted to share these since I think it's super cool how clever Miraculous can be with its plot and characters even if it doesn't seem like it at first glance 
> 
> \- So Miraculous's romance plotlines seem to be heavily inspired by shoujo anime/manga which is probably why I enjoy Miraculous's romance so much (I'm a sucker for shoujo). The introduction of a rival (who eventually becomes a good friend of the protagonist) and an additional love interest further along in the story is pretty commonplace in shoujo works.   
\- Akuma actually means "devil" or "demon" in Japanese  
\- Kagami's first and last name both have important meanings. "Tsurugi" means sword which is a nod to Kagami's hobby of fencing and her family's fame for fencing. "Kagami" means mirror and is probably a reference to her design and role in the story being a mirror of Marinette's. 
> 
> And thanks for reading this chapter! :)

**Author's Note:**

> So this chapter is a lot of introductory stuff that's setting up for Marinette's arrival at Chat Noir's shrine, so please bear with me. Also the length of this chapter is kinda short, but I don't know how long the average chapter will be. It'll kinda depend on how I'm feeling, you know? 
> 
> Also don't forget to check out @sidsinning on Tumblr!


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